NRA Fundraising Largely Increases In Months Since Newtown Shootings

Wayne LaPierre, Chief Executive Officer of the National Rifle Association, is sworn in during a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill January 30, 2013 in Washington, DC. The committee held the hearing with retired Astronaut Mark Kelly, husband of former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, LaPierre, and others to testify about solutions to gun violence in the United States. AFP PHOTO/Brendan SMIALOWSKI (Photo credit should read BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images)

The National Rifle Association has seen a massive increase in fundraising in the months since the shootings in Newtown, Conn., which prompted a nationwide debate on gun control. (read BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON (CBS DC) — The National Rifle Association has seen a massive increase in fundraising in the months since the shootings in Newtown, Conn., which prompted a nationwide debate on gun control.

Even as leading Senate Democrats Chuck Schumer and Dianne Feinstein joined President Obama in stern demands for national gun control measures, the 5 million member NRA reported a boom in fundraising, CBS News reports.

The National Rifle Association’s Political Victory Fund reported yesterday through a Federal Election Commission report that they raised nearly $1.6 million in the month of February alone. In January, the NRA raised $1.1 million, giving the group $4 million in raised cash by the end of February.

The group raised $14.4 million in both 2011 and 2012 combined.

The report listed a contribution of $30,500 given to federal candidates and political committees in February. The group also gave $1,000 to House Virginia Republican Bob Goodlatte and $2,500 to House Speaker and Ohio Republican John Boehner.

Earlier this month, Sen. Dianne Feinstein announced that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid had decided to drop her assault weapons ban from the package of gun violence prevention measures that the Senate is putting together – but she is not giving up.

“This is very important to me,” Sen. Feinstein said in a Mar. 19 interview with CNN. “And I’m not going to lay down and play dead.”

The NRA has also been outspoken in its resolve to oppose new firearm legislation. CEO Wayne LaPierre told a Conservative Political Action Committee group that, “the NRA’s nearly five million members, and America’s 100 million gun owners will not back down, not ever.

Sen. Reid said earlier this week that he will introduce a bill to reduce gun violence in the future, but for now he is putting the assault weapons ban on hold.